Mail-marking device.



No. 634,4!8. .Patented 06f. 3, |899. H. E. WAITE. MAIL MARKING DEVICE.

(Application led Jan. 3, 1898,) (No Model.)

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No. 634,418. Patenfed oct. 3, |399. H. E. wAlTE.

MAIL MARKING DEVICE.

(Application tiled. Jan. 3, 1898.)

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No. 634,4I8. Patented 0st'. 3, |899. H. E. WAITE.

MAIL MARKING DEVICE.

(Appication filed Jan. 3, 189B.)

(No Model.)

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MTNEESEE: I @r MaI/MM UNITED STATES PATENT Erica HENRY E. WAITE, oEfNEWToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-MARKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,418, dated October 3, 1899. Application filed January 3, 1898. Serial No. 665,410. (N model? To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. WAiTE, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Marking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for postmarking and stamp-canceling letters; and it consists in the novel features of construction and relative arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth in the speciiicatiomclearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying four sheets of drawings, illustrating an embodiment of my invention, in which like reference characters are used to designate like parts.

Figure l represents a plan View of a mailmarking device constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents an end View, part-ly in section, looking from the left in Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent detail views, which will be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, a is the main frame of the device.

b is a table upon which letters are deposited before being marked, and c is a hopper in which the letters are dropped one at a time and in which theyremain while being marked.

d is a movable frame pivoted at d to the frame d.

d2 is a spring connected to studs di; d and exerting a tension which tends to move the frame d inwardly or toward the frame d.

d3 d3 are two parallei guides or tracks formed on the frame d and constituting a runway for 'a die-carriage e, which carries a segmental marking-die f. The carriage e is arranged to be reciprocated on its guides by means of a handle 4e and is provided with rollers e2 e2, which bear on the tracks or guides d3 and support the `carriage in its longitudinal movement. These rollers may, if desired, be provided with ball or roller bearings to reduce frictionfg is a stationary impression-bed arranged verticallybel'ow the lower opening ofthe hopper, or, more properly, forming the continuation of the inner side c of said hopper. As a means for rotating the marking-die f during its longitudinalmovement a rack es is pro` vided on the frame d, which coperates with a pinion e and gear e5 on the carriage e. The pinion e4 is mounted on a stud on the lower part of the carriage and by reason of its en* gagement with the rack c3 is rotated when it moves along the rack, its rotation causing the rotation of the gear c5 and of the dief, mounted on the shaft of said gear.

By reference to the dotted positions of the die fshown at the right and left in Fig. l it will be seen kthat the said die by reason of its rotation, due to the travel of the carriage, moves away laterally from the im pression-bed g when the carriage e moves longitudinally in either direction from its central or intermediate position and approaches the impression-bed laterally when'said carriage moves toward its central position. When the carriage is in said intermediate position opposite the left-hand end of the hopper c and is moving toward the left, the position of the .die is such as to bring it into Contact with the im pression-bed or with a letter positioned in front of said bed, and as the carriage continues io move toward the left the die rolls against the face of the letter and marks the same with ink received from an ink-roll h.

c6 is a shelf which is attached to the carriage c and operates below the hopper c. The said shelf is arranged to form a support for a letter dropped in the hopper when said carriage occupies its forward position with the shelf beneath the hopper. As the carriage is moved from said position toward the left the shelf moves from beneath the hopper and allows the letter to fall through into a suitable receptacle, such as the boxj. The left wall c3 of the hopper forms an abutment, against which the letter strikes as it is carried by the shelf c toward the left. This abutment serves to hold the letter stationary in front of the impression-bed g, and when the die f reaches its marking position it rolls along the face of the letter and marks the same.

Vhen the machine is in operation, letters are deposited one by one in the hopper when the carriage is in the extremity of Aits right- IOO hand stroke and the shelf e6 is'beneath the hopper. The carriageis then given its marking-stroke toward the left by the operator and the letter automatically adjusts itself in front of the impression-bed, and after it has been marked it falls through the bottom of the hopper.

In order to prevent a deposit of ink upon the impression-bed on the return stroke of the carriage and marking-die, I provide the following mechanism: The right-hand end of the pivoted frame d, above the spring (l2 is provided with a bevel or cam face di, and between said face and the frame a operates a roller-wedge 7s, carried on the end ot an elongated rod la". The said rod slides in lugs a2 a2 on the frame a and is provided with adjustable collars 7.22 k3 7a4.

c7 is a pin or stud on the carriage e, which strikes against the collars 7.53 and 7a4 and causes a slight longitudinal movement of the rod 7c when the carriage reaches the extremity of its travelin either direction. The roller-wedge 7.: is composed of a middle roll 2 and two rolls 3 3 011 either side of said middle roll, all being loosely mounted on one stud. The middle roll i', which is of larger diameter than the rolls 3 3, bears against the cam-surface d* on the pivoted frame d, while the two rolls 3 3 bear against the straight faces a' of the frame d. A groove l, Fig. 6, is formed in the frame c, an d the arrangement is such that the roll il bears against the cam-face d4, but not against the frame a, while the rolls i5 3 bear against the face a, but not against the face d4. This arrangement allows the rollerwedge to move freely in either direction between the two faces.

Now when the die-carriage e is moved t0- ward the right preparatory to the placing of a letter in the hopper the stud eT on the carriage strikes against the collar 7a3 on the bar 7o' and moves the roller-wedge to the right, so that the spring d2 draws the frame d inwardly. Therefore on the marking-stroke of the carriage the dief makes contact with the letter and marks the same. Vhen the carriage which causes the roller-wedge 7.; to move against the cam-face (Z4 and displace the frame d outwardly. The die f is thereby prevented from depositing ink on the impression-pad on its return stroke. A small roller d5 is mounted on the frame d to permit the frame to move easily in and out.

It will be seen from the above description that I have provided a simple and easily operated mailmarking device, particularly adapted for hand-power. The device might, however, be operated in any suitable way other than by hand-power.

Having thus explained the nature of my-invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes in which it may be used, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mail-marking device, a vertical 110pper, a marking-die, a longitudinally-movable carriage carrying said die, and means operated by said carriage for supporting the letter from beneath while being marked, said means allowing the letter to fall from thehopper by gravity when marked.

2. In a mail-marking device, a hopper open at the bottom, a longitudinally-movable shelf operating below said hopper, and adapted to support letters deposited therein, a markingdie, and an abutment for preventing longitudinal movement of a letter in the hopper while said letter is being marked.

3. In a mail-marking device, a supportingframe, a guide-frame pivoted thereto, a reciprocating die carriage mounted on the guide-frame, a longitudinally-movable slidebar carrying at its end a wedging or cam member which operates between the supporting-frame and guide-frame moving the latter toward and from the former, and means 0n the die-carriage engaging and moving the slide-rod at the end of each stroke of said carriage.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. IVAITE.

Vitnesses:

E. BATCHELDEH, C. F. BROWN. 

